After Forever
by Child You Are Hell Bent
Summary: Ancient Egyptians believed the human soul was made of two parts, the Ba and the Ka; halves that needed to be reunited after death to pass into the Duat. But with only half of the Pharaoh's soul in the afterlife, the Dark games have returned, threatening to destroy the world. Another sacrifice is needed to seal the darkness. A sacrifice that no one is willing to make.
1. Chapter 1

After Forever

Hi everyone. Welcome to the first chapter of After Forever. This story is across between wanting to expand upon the events of the Ceremonial duel (which I have always felt was out of character for the rest of the series) and needing to explain why Yami has his own body in my other story Rage and Grace. When I first started After Forever it was just supposed to be a one shot, possibly a sequel to Chains of Friendship. Somewhere along the way however, this story became a huge project all on its own (and got rather dark, can't imagine how that happened hahaha). I've had had I lot of fun writing this, so I hope you enjoy it. And don't forget to tell me what you think!

Cheers,

Child, you Are Hell Bent.

Disclaimer: I, _Child, you are Hell bent_ do not claim to own Yugioh.

Chapter One

It was the end of the world.

Of that much, Yugi was certain.

Yugi was also painfully aware that he would be hard pressed to find anyone who actually agreed with this sentiment. For one thing, this statement completely ignored the fact that was a fine spring afternoon in Domino city, the first honestly warm day of the year. The sun was shining. Birds sang from the branches of cherry trees, resplendent under the burden of their white and pink blossoms. Petals danced to the rhythm of a crisp breeze, whispering the promise of still nicer days to come.

But the rest of the world didn't have two excessively complicated labs to complete by the end of the day. Nor did they have an ominously massive final exam to prepare for. University did not particularly care that the sun was shining, or that bird where chirping. Not when it was the close to graduation.

So yes, it was the end of the world. And no one could convince Yugi otherwise.

He stretched his arms high above his head, wincing at the answering pop and crack of his joints. Every muscle in his body felt tight, his body protesting the fact he had been hunched over a keyboard for the last several hours. He wanted nothing more than to take a break. Yugi glanced at his phone, balanced beside his laptop. 12 unread messages, the majority of them from Jounouchi. He stared at it for a moment, before flipping the device over. He didn't have time.

Yugi grabbed the mug resting on his on his pharmacology textbook. It was stone cold. he made a face, but dutifully swallowed the last swig of green tea, praying it would provide the last push of motivation he needed. "To prevent a common, adverse effect of prolonged use of Phenytoin Sodium." Yugi read aloud. "A Nurse should instruct patients taking the drug to…"

He trailed off, staring blankly at the question in front of him "What?" He demanded of the screen, running a hand through his already messy hair. He read the question again, and once more for good measure. It didn't help.

"The patient should be instructed to make funeral arrangements." He moaned, slumping forward onto the desk, head slamming against the wood. "What on earth is phenytoin Sodium?"

Domino U's Nursing program, Yugi had a distinct impression, was going to be the death of him. There had to be a limit to how much information the brain could absorb before it exploded under pressure.

He slumped back into the chair, staring blankly at the ceiling. Not that he should really be complaining. If his grandpa heard, it would open a can of worms that Yugi wasn't to deal with right now. Yugi knew that his grandfather had been more than a little disappointed when Yugi had decided on Nursing over Archeology after high school. The decision had come as a surprise to everyone, Yugi included. But it had been an easy one to make.

It had been nearly five years since the ceremonial duel. Five long years since they had left the Millennium Items under the desert. Since they had said goodbye too… Yugi shook his head, pushing his mind away from dark thoughts. The fact was, he wasn't ready to face Egypt. Not even to follow in his grandfather's footsteps.

No, Nursing was the right choice. The only choice, if Yugi was going to attempt to move on with his life. Yugi ran a finger along the edge of the framed photo of Atem on his desk. It was clipping from a newspaper, a Kaiba crop press release after Battle City- and the only photo Yugi had.

Besides, he thought with a jaded chuckle, at least in Nursing there was no chance of digging up a cursed artifact. As much as Yugi was growing to resent the fact textbooks had completely taken over his life, he also loved the fact that the most stressful thing he had to deal with was memorizing the bones in the human hand.

He just had to survive studying.

"To prevent a common, adverse effect of prolonged use of Phenytoin Sodium," Yugi muttered under his breath. He dragged the heavy textbook onto his lap, thumbing through the index. "What are you?"

The lights flickered then. Just once; But it was enough to pull Yugi's attention away from the textbook in front of him. He glared at the light suspiciously. When was the last time anyone had replaced the bulb? He would have to talk to Grandpa getting a replacement. Especially as it flickered again.

Outside, the wind was beginning to pick up. Yugi could hear the metal bars of his mother's wind chime slamming against themselves. Thunder cracked in the distance. So much for the sunny day. He vaguely remembered the weather report mentioning something about a storm later in the date. It had only been a ten percent chance, but apparently, the weatherman had been right for once. Imagine that.

A single chunk of blond hair fell across Yugi's cheek. He huffed at it. His hair was longer now; the extra length weighing it down and taming the spikes that had once dominated his in high-school. The colours remained the same: gold mixing into the black and red as he pulled it out of his face into an absent half pony- the rest hanging heavy around his chin.

Phenytoin Sodium wasn't in the textbook. Because that would make things too easy. Begrudgingly, Yugi typed the name into Wikipedia, praying he would find some semblance of answer there. Because the assignment had to be posted online in an hour- and Yugi still had two questions left. He hit the enter key, even as his room went dark with a pop."

"No!" The screen flashed before going white, demanding a connection to the internet in order to complete its task. "No, No, No! Not Now!" he moaned. This couldn't be happening; Not now. "Grandpa!" Yugi shouted as he slammed the lid of laptop closed. He squinted in the now dim light of his room. "Powers out!"

There was no response. Yugi frowned, standing up. He shuffled towards the door in the dark. Best case scenario, it was just a blown fuse. Easy enough to fix. But Yugi didn't know where the box was. "Grandpa!" He called again, louder this time. His grandfather was probably down in the store. "Could you check the breaker?"

"Grandpa?"

He stumbled through the dark, unable to see more than a foot in front of his face. Yugi yelped, stubbing his toe against the corner of his bed. Hobbling awkwardly, Yugi grabbed his phone, flicking on the flashlight.

It was only then that the oddness of the situation began to strike home. Even though there was no electricity, it shouldn't have been this dark. It was the middle of the day for goodness sake; a very bright, sunny day at that. The white curtains that covered Yugi's windows were by no means thick enough to block out the sun. They certainly hadn't been doing so a few moments ago.

So why did it seem like the middle of the night? Yugi grabbed the curtains, pushing them back. Whatever he had been expecting to see, this wasn't it. Yugi felt his jaw open, as reeled backward. The back of his legs hit the desk with a thump. He threw a hand back onto the wood, needing the support as his legs trembled. They threatened to carry him down. His breath caught in his throat. He couldn't even remember how to breathe. He couldn't even look away.

The sun as gone; completely enveloped by thick clouds of black and grey, shot through with writhing veins of toxic blues and neon purples. The miasma twisted and churned across the horizon like an oil slick, rolling over itself as it stretched down to the streets. It enveloped everything in its path. Yugi couldn't even see the house next door. There was only darkness.

"Yami no Game." He breathed. The words alone knocked the air from his lungs with the force of a fist. His brain scrambled to make sense of what he was looking at. This couldn't be possible. The items were gone. This couldn't be real. How was this possible!

"Yugi!"

His bedroom door slammed opening, banging against the drywall. His mother flew into his room, Sugoroku close on her heels with a flashlight clenched in his fist.

"Get away from the window!" his grandfather barked. Yugi didn't think twice, staggering towards his family. His mother grabbed his arm, pulling him close. The room exploded into violet light as lightning slashed the sky. It struck the large cherry tree in the yard with an ear-splitting crack. Yugi's window shattered. Shards of glass rained onto the carpet.

His mother cried out. But the sound was immediately lost beneath the answering boom of thunder. Yugi slammed his hands over his ears. They throbbed under the pitiful protection, Yugi could feel something warm and wet dribble between his fingers.

"Oh god." Akiko moaned as she stared out of the window. Her hand flew to her mouth. The lightning had split the tree into half and the remains had been engulfed by flame; Flames that crackled an unholy blue.

The sound of his mother's panic was enough to shake Yugi back to reality. "Grab your bags." He said. "Pack only what you can carry. We have to get out of here."

Akiko stared at Yugi as if he had suddenly sprouted a second head. "Are you insane?" she cried, eyes wide. "We can't go out there! It's not safe."

"We can't stay here." Blood rushing in his ears, Yugi ripped open his closet and pulled out a well-worn duffle bag." I can't explain now. But we have to leave!"

"We need to stay indoors." Akiko countered. "We'll lock ourselves in the basement until the storm passes."

Yugi jabbed a hand to the window waving at the cold blue flames that crackled outside his window. "This isn't a storm. Mom!" he cried. " This It isn't going to just blow over. Domino isn't safe."

"How do you know that!"

Yugi turned to his grandfather imploringly. The old man frowned, looking out the window, past the tree to the storm beyond "Is this what I think it is?" Sugoroku asked finally, choosing his words carefully. Yugi nodded.

"Alright, then." Sugoroku turned on his heel. "Give me five minutes, I'll make sure we have everything we need."

"Father!" Akiko cried after her father as he disappeared down the dark hallway. She turned back to her son, and her face tightened into an expression of angry displeasure. It was a look that almost always proceeded a lecture. Yugi braced himself, mind already calculating the different ways he could change his mother's mind. He knew that it was going to be a nearly impossible task.

But the lecture never came. Akiko's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as the colour drained from her face all at once. A shaking finger pointed out Yugi's window. Her mouth opened to say something. What, Yugi didn't know, because no sound ever came out.

"Mom?" He asked. Turning way from his closet to face the window. What had startled her so badly?

It was difficult to miss. The skeletal frame of Curse of Dragon was right outside his window. Yugi's bag slipped from his limp fingers. The beast was so large that Yugi could only see it's head and the corner of a single wing. Yugi's hair whipped across his face from the wind projected by the heavy beats of the dragon's massive wings. It had never seemed so big in the holograms.

"Oh god." He breathed as he stared up at the beast. This wasn't real. There was no way this was real. Any moment now he was going to wake up and realize this was all a dream. This couldn't be happening!

The dragon opened its vast jaw, a ball of fire forming deep in its throat. Yugi froze on the spot. He had ordered that attack frequently enough to know the kind of damage it could cause.

Akiko grabbed Yugi's arm. "Get down!" she shouted, nearly taking Yugi's shoulder out of its socket as she yanked them down. Yugi didn't fight her. They hit the floor hard, Yugi falling flat onto his stomach. Akiko's arms wrapped tight around his head, her forehead pressed against the back of Yugi's neck. He tried to throw her off, to try and roll them over so he could protect her. But it was too late.

The room exploded into flame.

* * *

It was the end of the world.

That much was certain

Japan had declared a state of emergency. The darkness had come out of nowhere, the midday sun turning blacker than the moonless night. The inky pestilence had spread across the country in under an hour and it continued to spread.

Domino City was in ruins. The air, once cleansed by the harbour was so dense and stagnant that it was impossible to draw a full breath. Not that it was safe to be outside; not when the sky itself was alive with electricity. Colossal bolts of violet streaked through the air, seemingly ignorant of any accepted laws of physics as cleaved through buildings and people alike. Entire skyscrapers had been reduced to rubble. The remains of houses smoldered in their foundations. Fires burnt unchecked in the streets, slowly creeping forward and devouring everything in their path.

The wind howled, ripping through the burning trees, sending a shower of blue hot ash down onto the streets. Yugi winced as a piece landed on the back of his neck, burning the sensitive skin before he could wipe it away. Lightning came, a brilliant shock of neon purple in the graphite sky, forking silently to the unsuspecting ground.

Somewhere in the distance, a woman screamed. Yugi squeezed his eyes shut, counting in slow measured beats. "One. Two. Three. Four…"

The explosion was worthy of a thousand gunshots. It seemed as if the thunder was getting louder. He shivered as the roaring wind sliced through the thin material of his dark purple hoodie. "You have to leave," Yugi shouted over the chaos, praying above all else that his mother would finally listen. "Before it's too late! "Anywhere is safer than Domino."

They stood huddled in front of the inferno that had once been the Kame Game shop- their entire lives crammed haphazardly into the backpack at Sugoroku's feet. The only thing they had been able to grab before their home erupted into flame. Yugi and his mother had barely made it out of his bedroom before the roof collapsed. A fact Yugi was all too aware of as he looked at the scorched skin of his Mother's cheek and hands. She hadn't said a single word since Sugoroku had pulled them out out.

Sugoroku nodded, lifting the heavy bag high onto his aging shoulders. They couldn't stay still. Not with Curse of Dragon still out there. Who knows what else was lurking in the shadows.

"What about you?" Akiko asked quietly. She didn't turn away from the burning remains of her home. The blue glow of the flames cast harsh edges onto the normal soft curves of her face. Her arms were wrapped around her chest, elbows pressed tight into her sides. Akiko had never been a tall woman, but Yugi had never seen her seem so small. He placed a hand on her shoulder. He could feel her shaking. "You're coming with us."

It wasn't a question. But Yugi shook his head. He grabbed her hand in his now, giving it a comforting squeeze. "I have to make sure Jounouchi and the others get out okay." He said, the corners of his mouth turning into what he hoped was a comforting smile. He wondered if it looked as forced as it felt. "And I need you to get out while you still can."

"Your friends will be fine." Akiko pleaded. "The city is being evacuated. I'm sure your friends have done the same."

"I can't be sure of that. Jounouchi lives alone. I can't leave him." Yugi countered, forcing his voice to remain calm even as his Mother's rose in what Yugi refused to identify as panic. "I'll be fine."

Akiko placed a hand against Yugi's cheek. "You say 'I' a lot when you lie." She whispered. "Did you know that?"

"Mom…"

"The world is ending Yugi!" His mother's usually serene face was grey, her eyes red and puffy. Yugi found himself transfixed by the ash in her dark hair. It looked as if she had aged ten years since they had been forced outside. "We have to stay together. Please."

The women screamed again. A car across the street exploded as fire crawled into its gas tank. It shot into the air, crashing into the side of a building. The screaming stopped mid-note. "We don't have time for this." Sugoroku urged. "Yugi's right, Akiko. If we're going to leave, it has to be now."

"Everything will be fine." Yugi pleaded. "Trust me."

"Yugi Mutou, don't you dare do this. Not now!"

"Mom please."

"I won't leave you here."

"Mom."

"I won't!"

Thunder crashed through the air, only a few heartbeats behind the lightening now. Yugi could feel the electricity in the air. The hair on the back of his neck rose. He kissed his mother's cheek even as Sugoroku placed a heavy hand on his daughter's shoulders. "I love you, Mom." Yugi said as he wrapped his arms tight around her waist. "I'll meet you in Tokyo. I promise."

Tears streamed down her cheeks. Akiko made no effort to hide them. She pulled her only child closer. "So many times you've disappeared on me." She whispered into his shoulder, her voice breaking with every word. "And every time you've come back so different then the little boy I raised. How can you promise you'll be alright?"

Yugi couldn't answer that. "Get out of here." He said to his grandfather as he unraveled himself from his mother's hold. Her arms fell boneless to her sides. Yugi took a breath, his own eyes starting to burn. He had to keep it together. "I'll keep in touch."

Sugoroku nodded. "Good luck." He said. "Stay safe." Despite how rough the older man's words sounded, Yugi was grateful for the support. Sugoroku reached out, taking hold of his daughter's elbow. He steered Akiko towards the freeway. She did nothing to protest but staggered forward bonelessly. "We'll see you soon."

Yugi waved goodbye, unable to do more as his family disappeared into the darkness. It was impossible to tell if they would be any safer in Tokyo, or anywhere for that matter. But it couldn't be worse than Domino.

An animal howled, the deep, haunting cry of a wolf. Yugi jumped at the sound, frantically looking in every direction to try and determine where the sound was coming from. He couldn't see anything. But in the darkness that didn't mean much. The cry was answered not even a moment later by the bay of at least a dozen more of the creatures coming from every direction.

Japan didn't have wolves.

Memories of Silver Fang danced in Yugi's mind; of massive holograms with razor sharp teeth as long as his arm. Yugi ran. Ran in the opposite direction of his family and every sane person who was currently fleeing the city. And even though Jounouchi lived in the apartment complexes on the east side of Domino, Yugi turned towards the city center; Straight into the heart of the chaos.

He may not fully understand what was going on, but Yugi wasn't dumb enough to ignore the warning signs. It was impossible to forget the swirling storms of the Dark games. But that shouldn't have been possible. The Millennium Items were gone, buried deep in a sealed tomb for a long dead pharaoh. It had been five years. Five long and uneventful years.

So why now? What could have possibly changed in order for Duel Monsters to suddenly appear, as real as the cement beneath his feet? Was it possible that Atem was back?

No.

Yugi shut that thought down at the source. But he was too slow to prevent the familiar bolt of pain in his chest. That couldn't be it. That part of Yugi's life was over with; buried under several tons of sand. And that was where it was going to remain. It had to be something else. Something not connected to the Millennium Items.

Ishizu would have the answer. Yugi just had to make it to her in one piece.


	2. Chapter 2

Hi everyone!

Thanks so much for all the support! It means so much to know that people are enjoying this story. Here's Chapter 2 for you. Hope you have as much fun reading it as I had writing it. And as always, don't be afraid to tell me what you think. Reviews are inspiration.

Cheers

Child, you are Hell Bent.

 **Reviewer's corner:**

* * *

 **Thursday** \- I hope that means that you're excited? Glad you're enjoying the story so far 3

 **MyNameIs** \- Glad you liked it. I spent a good amount of time trying to figure out what Yugi would do with his life if he didn't go into Archeology. My Roommate is a nurse, so she helped me write that bit.

 **DreamMelody-** Thanks! I love stories where Atem comes back as well. I finally worked up enough courage at trying my hand at one. All will be revealed soon, I promise!

 **Xyrlea** \- Heya! thanks for the review. I'm so happy that you're enjoying it so far. I totally agree with what you said about 'return from the afterlife stories'. My favourite part of the Yugioh Fandom is that there's so much room for authors to put there own personal spin on events. And there are so many talented authors here! I hope I can keep everyone in character, (Yugi is so cute, but he's so strong at the same time, it's why I love him so much! but it can be so hard to find a balance.) A lot has changed for Yugi and his friends in the five years since Atem left. That being said, I don't think Atem will ever stop being protective of his Aibou. ;)

 **dragonlady222-** eeep! Don't worry, I promise that I'm working on updating R&G very soon. I just have a few plot holes that I need to tighten up first. R&G is kind of showing it's age for me as a writer. I still love it so much, and I have so many ideas, but there are somethings I need to work on. Finishing After Forever is really going to help me with that. It'll be worth it in the end, I promise!

 **alexandra ross 902-** thanks for the support! I'll do my best.

* * *

 **Disclaimer** :

Yep, still don't own Yugioh. It would be super special awesome if I did. But, then again, I wouldn't actually get to post anything, so where's the fun in that? Hmm, now that's something to think about.

 **Chapter Two**

Despite all odds, the Museum was standing by the time Yugi arrived in the City centre. He skidded to halt, chest burning as he crouched behind the safety of a large metal dumpster. He stared at the sturdy building on the other side of the plaza. With over half the city reduced to nothing more than smouldering rubble, Yugi hadn't been optimistic that the Museum was still here.

That wasn't to say it wasn't damaged. Even from this distance, Yugi could see that black scorch marks that scarred the stone arches. Entire chunks of the roof had been torn free, sacrificed to the elements or something meaner. Yugi didn't know which, and he didn't want to find out. The damage seemed largely superficial, and that's all that mattered.

Yugi released a shuddering breath. Ishizu would know what was happening. She would know why the entire city had been transformed into a dark game. He just had to make it to the museum. Which, Yugi had a feeling, was going to be easier said than done.

Still kneeling behind the relative safety of the dumpster, Yugi stared out at the plaza. It was completed abandoned. Everyone had already fled to the freeway. At first glance, it seemed safe enough. At least there didn't seem to be any monsters. The hunting was probably better where there was actually people. Yugi shuddered at the thought

Still…

Yugi's eyes narrowed as he continued to stare out of at the empty plaza in front of him. Something had destroyed the fountain in the centre of the square. Water gushed from the damaged pipes, covering the cracked, uneven flagstones with water. The stones that surrounded the pool had been thrown in every direction, with deep claw marks embedded in the surface. There was no way that lightning had done that kind of damage.

Gritting his teeth, Yugi sprinted out onto the square. His chest burnt with the effort, his legs still exhausted from running through the city. Water sloshed beneath his trainers. It felt like he was going to slip at any moment. It was all he could do to keep his balance. He was about halfway across the plaza now.

Somewhere above Yugi's head, something screeched. At first, Yugi thought someone was screaming, but it sounded far closer to a hawk than a person. His foot slipped out from under him. Yugi hit the ground, hard.

The air left his chest with a suffocating whoosh. He groaned miserably, curling on his side as he clutched at his aching chest. But movement above him caught Yugi's attention. He stared at the sky.

Three Harpy Ladies circled above him like vultures. With every swoop, they came closer. Yugi scrambled to his feeding, half running and half crawling underneath the belly of an abandoned SUV. He wrapped his arms tight around his head.

He heard the thump as the three beasts landed somewhere behind him, the clank of their talons against the torn up flagstones. Had they even seen him? If they had, then it was all over.

Harpy Ladies, Yugi remembered from his duels with Mai where vicious and too smart for their own good. If they found him, the SUV would provide as much protection as a wet newspaper.

The bird women squawked amongst themselves. Yugi could smell blood. Rusty iron clung to their talons like nail polish. Yugi couldn't stop the whimper that escaped his lips. He slammed his hands over his mouth, trying to hold perfectly still even has he trembled. The muscles legs tightened, every instance urging him to run. There was no way the monsters couldn't hear the hysterical pounding of his heart.

Yugi could see the brilliantly coloured feathers on their legs now as the three Harpies circled the SUV. The car trembled as one hopped onto the roof. The screech of torn metal sent ice through Yugi's veins. He cried out as the other two harpies slammed against the right side of the SUV. It rocked up onto his side, before slamming to the ground.

Would he get to see Atem in again in the Afterlife?

The SUV flipped over, skidding across the stone in a shower of sparks. Yugi couldn't even bring himself to move as the Harpies moved in, their beautiful faces twisted in feral delight. Yugi squeezed his eyes shut. He waited of for the icy kiss of talons against his skin. Would it feel the same as it did during a hologram duel?

He never found out. There was a howl from behind Him. Yugi opened his eyes to see Silver fang standing beside him. It frowned deep in its throat before leaping over his head. It slammed into the chest of the first Harpy Lady, teeth snapping for her throat.

Blood and feathers rained everywhere, coating the wolf's muzzle as the blue Harpy collapsed, dead before it hit the ground. Her sisters screamed in rage. Silver Fang's mouth curled back into a feral snarl, baring its gore stained canines in challenge.

The Harpies looked at each other before they flew into the air, broad wings preparing to carry them away. But Silver fang jumped onto the turned over SUV, and leapt into the air. He caught the purple Harpy lady by the leg, dragging them both down the ground with an almighty crash. The Harpy hissed and lashed out with her talons. She caught the wolf across its flank, opening three ragged words.

In duel monsters, Harpy Lady had more attack points than Silver fang, even if it was only by a small margin. But that seemed to have no barring here. Silver Fang rolled them over and buried its mouth into the Harpies throat.

Blood poured onto the concrete. The female monster tried to scream, but it was barely a gurgle as blood bubbled from her mouth. She fell limp.

Yugi pulled himself up onto his knees, scarcely believing what he had just seen. Silver fang climbed over the dead monster and sniffed at the wound on its side. It still bled sluggishly. The wolf gave the calf marks a hesitant lick before it huffed and let out a mournful howl.

Yugi stepped towards the beast, his hand outstretched hesitantly. Was it possible that the monsters were more sentient than they appeared? Silver Fang had been a mainstay in Yugi's deck even before he solved the millennium puzzle. Did the wolf know who he was?

Silver fang's ears twitched as Yugi's approached. It stared at him with glowing yellow eyes. "Hey, buddy," Yugi whispered, taking another step forward as the animal continued to stare. "Thanks for the save."

The monster's tail waved like dogs. Yugi took that as a promising sign. If the monsters were sentient, then maybe they chance. If they had allies, then future seemed far less grim.

As Yugi came closer, however, he began to recognize the look in Silver Fang's eyes. It wasn't the recognition of an old friend, but a Carnivore that had spotted an easy meal.

Silver Fang's head tilted to the side. Its tongue lapped lazily against the blood that streaked its muzzle, revealing its long teeth. Yugi stumbled back, frantically trying to find a weapon or anything he could use to defend himself.

Out of the corner of his eye Yugi spotted a tree branch, the wood as thick as his wrist around. He kept this movement's slow as possible, bending down to grab it. Silver Fang snapped menacingly. Yugi's fingers curled around the branch. He held his makeshift weapon out in front of him a dull sword, knowing deep down that it would be all but worthless.

Silver leapt forward, jumping at Yugi with a snarl. He cried out as the monster knocked him clear of his feet, and onto his back. His head slammed the ground. Spots danced in his vision. Yugi barely had enough time to get his makeshift weapon up as Silver fang snapped at his throat. The branch cracked as it was forced between the Monster's jaws. Yugi's arms trembled with the effort of keeping those snarling teeth away from his throat.

He could feel the wood breaking in his hold. Silver Fang continued to snap and snarl against it, biting down even as it pushed closer to Yugi's jugular. Warm drool splashed down onto Yugi's cheek.

With strength born purely from panic, Yugi used the branch as leverage to heave the beast off of him. The wolf fell onto its side, yelping as it landed on the Harpy's wounds. Yugi scrambled to his feet at the same time as Silver Fang.

Barely knowing what he was doing, Yugi swung the branch like a baseball ball back. The branch smashed against the snarling animal's skull. It shattered on impact. Silver Fang paused, shaking its head for a moment. With shaking hands, Yugi threw away the useless remains of his only defence as Silver fang began to circle.

Yugi took a step back, then another, stopping only one he felt the metal frame of the upturned SUV at his back. There was nowhere left to run. Silver fang growled as crouched down, body coiling for one final attack.

Electricity snapped and crackled. But there was no thunder. Instead, Silver fang whimpered. The monster crashed to the ground writhing in pain. Two small metal spikes were embedded in its side, connected to coiled wires shot from a Taser.

"Honda!" Yugi shouted in surprise as his old friend stepped into the light, dressed in the dark blue pants and uniform of the Domino Police department.

Honda stretched out his hand. "Hey Yugi." he said, pulling the smaller man up onto his feet. "Looks like we got here at the right time."

"Bit of an understatement." Yugi chuckled breathlessly. He ran a hand along the back of his skull, wincing as he grazed the large bump that was forming there. "What are still doing in Domino? And what do you mean, we!"

Honda shrugged as they turned towards the museum. "We have officers all over the city helping with the evacuation." He said simply. "But when the acid trip lightening started and the Monsters showed up, I kind of figured my talents were needed elsewhere." He pointed up the stone steps that led to the museum door. "I ran into the others on my way here."

There was a small group of people standing at the Museum's doorstep. Even in the darkness, Yugi could recognize the familiar faces of Jounouchi, Anzu, and Ryou. Yugi's heart plummeted, even as relief raced through him. Why where they all still in city? It was far too dangerous to be domino, hadn't they realized that?

Yugi leapt up the stairs as fast as short, exhausted legs would carry him. "Hey, Yugi!" Jounouchi crowed, wrapping an arm around Yugi's neck, ruffling his hair. "What took you so long?" Yugi struggled against fake chock hold trying to escape from beneath Jounouchi's arm.

"Seriously Jounouchi!" Anzu cried as he helped Yugi escape. "He's bleeding; why would you attack him like that?" Yugi blinked, before looking down at his arm. Sure enough, the material of his hoody was torn, revealing where the cement had ripped away layers of his skin. Compared to what could have happened, Yugi didn't mind a little bit of road rash. But Anzu seemed to take offense as she dabbed with some tissue she had pulled from her purse.

Her hair was longer now, pulled away from her face by a complicated braid that reached half way down her long-sleeved crop top. It was more than a little disheveled now though, strands of brown covering her face. "I'm fine, It's just a cut. " Yugi said, waving off her attempts at first aid. "Why are you still in the city?"

"What and miss this?" Jounouchi demanded incredulously. "It's not the end of the world if I'm not in it!"

"Don't be an idiot." Honda jeered as he slapped the back of Jounouchi skull. "This is serious!"

"I know that!" Jounouchi snapped back. "But common on, we're in the world saving business, what else would we be doing?"

Anzu rolled her eyes, even as Ryou chuckled behind his hand. "We came to find you." He said to Yugi, growing as from his dark blue collared shirt and white hair. "Your mother is really worried. She thinks you're running off to do something stupid."

"Can't imagine why," Honda smirked.

"I told her I was looking for you guys!" Yugi countered, even as he became very interested in the laces of running shoes. "There's nothing stupid about that."

"Except for the fact you're here, and not actually looking for us," Anzu stated shrewdly. "We saw your mom and Grandpa on the road. When I said we hadn't you, she started to panic."

A dull red painted the tops of Yugi's cheeks. "I didn't want her to worry." He lamented. "What was I supped to say? She doesn't know anything about magic puzzles and dark games. I didn't think she'd understand why I suddenly needed to go to a museum."

"Yah, about that; We have a problem." Jounouchi walked up to the large glass doors and pulled on the heavy metal handles. "Ishizu and Malik aren't here."

"What?" Yugi asked. He yanked on handles, but the Jounouchi was right, the museum was locked. Yugi tried to squint through the windows, but it was difficult to see through the heavy iron bars that had been installed to prevent people from breaking in. Those hadn't been there yesterday.

He stared blankly at the heavily fortified building in front of him, mind reeling as he tried to understand what was happening. He had thought for certain that Ishizu would be here. Yugi could barely believe how stupid he'd been, how incredibly naïve. Why on earth would Ishizu be sitting merrily in her office when the entire country had declared a state of emergency? Yugi's entire save the world plan was dependent on Ishizu being there to show him what to do. Because without Atem, Yugi could even handle a single monster without needing to be rescued.

Yugi sighed, letting his head fall against the unfeeling glass. Atem would have predicted that Ishizu would have left the city. He would have known what to do next.

Anzu placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "So we're on our own?" she asked. Yugi knew that she was trying to sound confident, but seemed as scared as Yugi felt.

"Seems like it." He replied, watching as Jounouchi pressed his boot against the door frame for extra leverage as he tried to force the door open. But it didn't budge. The stone building looked as if it could survive a front assault from a tank. They weren't getting in by pulling on the door. "We'll have to figure this out by ourselves."

The world flashed violet as thunder boomed so loud that Yugi's ears rung with the echo. Yugi didn't have the slightest clue how they were going to save anything without Atem. Without the Pharaoh, they were just a group of ordinary people in way over their heads. Just because they could identify some weird looking clouds didn't explain why the world had suddenly decided to come to an end. Nor did provide a way to stop it.

"Do hear that?"

Everyone turned to Honda. "Here what?" Jounouchi questioned, rubbing his ear. "All I can hear is ringing from that bloody thunder."

"No, I think I hear it too," Ryou said, tilting his head to the side in concentration. "It sounds like it's coming… from behind the Museum?"

Yugi could hear something too. It was faint, he really had to focus, but it was there. "What is it?" he asked. It was a soft rumbling, obviously mechanical, but throatier than the rumble of a car engine.

Anzu's eyes widened. "I know that sound." She cried, a broad grin splitting her features. "It's a generator! My folks have one at the cabin on Lake Nojiri."

"That means…" Ryou started to say.

"That someone's here!" Yugi finished triumphantly. "Anzu you're brilliant!"

Now that they knew what to look for, Yugi pressed his face against the glass. Straining this eyes, Yugi could just see the faintest glow of a hallway in distance beyond the dark foyer. "I see light!"

Jounouchi slammed his fist against the door, knocking loudly. But the museum remained silent. He continued to knock, louder and louder until he was practically hitting the door. "Ishizu! Let us in!" He shouted. But there was no response. "Hello, Anyone home?"

The howling wind was their only response. The museum remained dark and silent. "You have got to be kidding me." Jounouchi cursed, giving the door a solid kick. It didn't so much as budge. "What are they doing in there."

"Probably hiding," Honda said

"Not funny, Dude."

"Who said I was kidding?"

"Seriously guys." Anzu snapped at them, "is this really the time?" she frowned, but she wasn't staring at the locked door in front of them. Instead, her gaze darted around the empty plaza. "We can't stay here much longer, it isn't safe."

She was right of course. Yugi frantically tried to remember if there was another way into the museum. The loading bay maybe? It was probably locked, but it was closer to Ishizu's office. Maybe she would be able to hear them that way. It was worth a shot.

Something growled in the distance. They all froze, staring at each other. "Jounouchi," Anzu whispered, her arms wrapped tight around herself. "Please tell me that was your stomach."

It wasn't. They could only watch helpless as five, tall monsters stomped into the plaza. They were tall, humanoid looking demons, with melted purple skin. They wore heavy bone armour, edged with sharp metal horns. Cloaks of heavy green swirled around their heels, parting to reveal, the large swords that hung at their hips. They looked familiar, but Yugi' couldn't quite remember what they were called.

Ryou seemed to know. Whatever little colour that he had rushed from his face, leaving him a sickly shade of grey. "Ar…Arc...Arch Fiend Solider!" he gasped, eyes the size of dinner plates. He stumbled, back hitting the barricade of the door. Ryou pushed himself so firmly against it, that it looked as if he was trying to phase right through the glass. "Oh god... "

"Quiet." Honda hissed, his own voice barely audible. "Nobody move."

The Arch Fiends hadn't noticed them yet. The monsters continued to walk across the plaza at a leisurely pace, absorbed in their own conversation. They spoke in a guttural language of hisses and clicks. But carried a shrill, almost hysterical edge that sounded like a pack of hyenas. Beside him, Anzu trembled.

"What are they doing?" Jounouchi hissed. Honda glared at him for breaking the silence.

Yugi quickly realized what Jounouchi had been talking about. the Fiends were passing something amongst themselves. It almost looked as if they were playing catch while they walked. Or some twisted version of it anyway. Yugi couldn't quite see what they were throwing, but he had a sick feeling it wasn't a soccer ball.

The Fiends were almost passed the stair now. They were so engrossed by their game that they never looked up, never noticed the group of defenseless people huddled at the top of the stairs only a few feet away. And although it was still early to be celebrating, Yugi breathed a quick sigh of relief.

The archfiends tossed their ball once more. It sailed above their heads. One of the monsters in the back reached out to grab it, but if fumbled just out of their reach. The ball fell tot he ground, rolling to the base of the museum steps. Yugi was right; it wasn't a soccer ball. It was a human head, it's glazed eyes staring blankly up at them.

Anzu screamed.

Realizing what she had done, Anzu slammed her hands over her mouth. But it was too late to muffle the sound. The fiends whirled around, hissing and pointing with steel tipped claws as their faces contorted with excitement. Drawing their swords with a steely hiss, the fiends began to advance.

Bile rose in the pit of Yugi's throat as he caught their gaze. Silver Fang and the Harpies both attacked out of animal instinct alone. But as Yugi looked into the glowing yellow eyes of the Archfiend Soldier, all he could see was bloodlust, and it seemed all too human. He slammed his fist against the door. "Ishizu!" he shouted frantically. "Let us in! Please!"

Honda pulled a heavy baton from his belt. He flicked his wrist, extending it to its full length with series of clicks.

"Are you crazy?" Anzu cried. She grabbed his elbow, pulling the brown haired man back. "You can't fight them with that!"

"We can't just stand here!" Honda retorted, trying to pull his arm free. "We have to fight back!"

"As much as I hate to admit it, Honda's right." Jounouchi dropped the threadbare backpack he had been wearing to his feet, ripping it open. He quickly began to rifle through its contents. "Yugi, you think this is a Dark game right?"

"It looks like one," Yugi replied absently. But is focus was torn between what Jounouchi was doing and the Monsters who were already at the base of the stairs. "Why?"

"The way I see it, if this is a Dark Game, then those ugly brutes are just Duel Monsters, right? I vote we level the playing field."

That caught Yugi's attention. He whirled around as Jounouchi pulled out the worn brown and black cards of his desk, pulling free the top card. "What are you doing?" Yugi demanded as Jounouchi nodded approvingly at the card he had drawn, and turned it skyward. "Jounouchi, no!"

Too late. There was a flash of light, more brilliant than even the lightening. Something was taking shape in the center. It wasn't long before a tall, bipedal Panther stepped forward, a heavy cutlass in its clawed grip. "Panther Warrior!" Jounouchi exclaimed, triumphant, "Attack the Archfiend Soldiers."

Panther warrior shot forward, it's heavy green cloak trailing behind. It rushed the fiends, swinging its giant sword as if it weighed nothing at all. The blade easily sliced through the first Archfiend, before whirling around to block another attack with an effortless grace.

"Great thinking Jounouchi!" Anzu cheered, pumping her fist into the air as Panther warrior ripped its sword free, ducking low to avoid the second Fiend's attack. The Panther turned its sword on its way back up, effectively running its enemy through. Anzu turned to Ryou, Yugi, and Honda. "We have to help him!" She said, "who has their deck?"

Honda nodded, reaching into a pocket of his uniform pants. But Ryou placed a hand on his wrist. "Don't." He said softly.

"Why not? Anzu questioned. She looked at Ryou and then to Yugi who made no move to draw a card of his own. "What's wrong?"

Yugi bit his lip. "Normal people can't handle the strain of summoning a monster like this." He said worriedly. "This isn't like Battle City's Holograms. Jounouchi actually summoned a spirit. It's tied to his life-force, and if that runs out…"

Even though Panther Warrior had only been out for a few moments, Jounouchi was already beginning to sway on his feet, his face pinched and shiny with sweat. Yugi could see the way his hands trembled and could hear the heavy rattle of his breathing. "Jounouchi, stop now."

Panther Warrior turned to his Master, even as Jounouchi collapsed down onto one knew. The moment of hesitation cost Panther Warrior. It was barely able to lock the Archfiend's next attack. Sparks flew as Panther warrior leapt forward aggressively, swinging for the Fiend's head. But it flickered halfway through the attack, becoming transparent. The strike passed harmlessly through the soldier, with the force of a breeze. The Archfiends crackled in a macabre version of what Yugi could only assume was laughter.

Ryou raced to Jounouchi, trying to support him with a pressing his hands between the blonde's shoulder blades. But even with the extra support, Panther warrior continued to waver dangerously,

Yugi crouched down in front of his friend, hands tight on Jounouchi's shoulders. "Let it go!" he implored. "You have to call it back."

But Jounouchi just shook his head. "I can't!" he said through grit teeth. He groaned, struggling to regain his feet. But it was an impossible test. "If I stop, we're toast."

"We'll figure something out!" Yugi said. "You have to stop, before its stop late."

"This will kill you Jounouchi." Ryou continued. "We don't have a lot of time."

Three of the archfiends had already been defeat. But Panther warrior was slowing down. It was on the defensive now, barely able to keep up with the remaining fiends overwhelmed it. Yugi's hand went his belt, where his own deck lay inside its case. His mind reeled as he tried to think of anything he could do to save them. There was almost nothing he could summon that wouldn't leave him worse of then Jounouchi was now, and what happened if it wasn't enough? At this point, he was ready to try.

"Yugi!"

At the sound of his name, Yugi whirled his head around. "Malik!" he exclaimed. The blond was standing just on the other side of the door, a lantern in one hand and a ring of keys in the other. But the Young Tomb Keeper made no move to unlock the door "You have to let us in!"

Malik shook his head. The Shadows from the lantern cast his face with grim shadows. "There too close!" he shouted, voice muffled by the heavy glass that separated them. "If I open it now, they'll get in. Then we'll all be dead.

"And we'll die if you leave us out here!" Honda growled, slamming his fist against the door. But Malik didn't even flinch. "Damn it!"

One of the Archfiends got in a lucky shot, slipping underneath Panther Warriors guard to stab Jounouchi's monster in the ribs. The dark sword slipped through Panther Warrior's breastplate as if it was made of butter. The panther roared in pain, even as Jounouchi cried out, curling in on himself as if he taken the blow.

"Jounouchi!" Everyone screamed. Panther Warrior flickered once, disappearing from view. When it finally reappeared it seemed blurry, its edges fuzzy.

"Listen to me!" Yugi shouted. "Please Jounouchi, you have to stop!"

"Not till they're gone," Jounouchi growled. He staggered to his feet, leaning heavily on Ryou. Panther warrior did the same, settling back into an attack stance. "Otherwise we're done for."

"Oh for god sakes!" Honda snapped. Even as Ryou struggled to keep Jounouchi standing, Honda moved into their space, blocking their view of the fiends. " Sorry, dude. " He said with a shrug. "Nothing personal, but you're being an idiot. "Before Jounouchi could question what he meant, Honda lashed out, landing a solid punch to Jounouchi's jaw.

Jounouchi's eyes rolled into the back of his skull, a testament to just how much maintaining Panther Warrior had drained his energy. He slipped to the side, collapsing bonelessly onto an unprepared Ryou. The white haired man yelped in surprise, struggling for a moment before the dead weight carried them both down.

As soon as Jounouchi lost consciousness, Panther warrior shattered into a thousand pieces. The energy quickly flew back into Jounouchi's deck, but the blond duelist remained unconscious. The two remaining archfiends paused, they seemed thrown off by the fact their enemy had disappeared so suddenly. But the peace didn't last long. The Archfiends looked at each other before raising their swords into the air. They let use a bone shattering war cry; a victory cry Yugi realized as blood ran cold.

Without Panther Warrior, they were defenseless.

Honda tightened his grip on his baton. He raced forward, swinging at the closest Fiend with all his strength. It didn't even try to block the blow with its sword. Instead, it raised an armoured forearm. The baton shattered on impact. Honda stumbled back, grasping the broken remains his baton in both hands. The Fiend chortled as it raised its sword, preparing for the final killing blow. Anzu screamed Honda's name.

"Swords of revealing light!"

Western style swords of pure light rained from the sky. Honda stumbled backward, barely able to get out of the way intimate as the swords embedded themselves into the ground, forming a wall between the archfiends and there pray. How long three turns lasted for in the real world, Yugi had no clue. But the wall he had summoned seemed to be holding well enough. One oft he fiends swiped at the light, only to leap back as the air sizzled, filling with the stench of burnt flesh.

Yugi choked, clutching at the front of his short. It felt like a voice was closing around his chest, slowly tightening. Anzu looked at him sharply, grabbing hold of his arm when he began to stumble. "Open the door!" she shouted at Malik. "Hurry!"

The blond didn't need to be told twice. The heavy glass doors swung open without a moment's hesitation. Anzu all but dragged Yugi through the doorway. His breathings were coming in ragged stop and starts now, sounding like a faulty engine. Honda and Ryou stumbled in a moment later, carrying the still unconscious Jounouchi between them. They were barely through the threshold before Honda dropped Jounouchi's feet in order to help Malik slam the doors shut.

It wasn't a moment too soon, as the swords soon flickered and disintegrated. The fiends slammed against the door, their metal claws screeching against the glass. Honda threw himself against it, using his weight to keep the door close so Malik could seal the locks.

The metal bar slid into place with an audible clank. They all breathed a sigh of relief. Malik ran a hand through is already messy blond hair, pulling it way from his face. "I know you lot are found of grand entrances, but we can't keep meeting like this." He said jovially, despite the tight lines around his eyes and mouth. "It's hard on the blood pressure."

"You have no idea how happy we are to see you, Malik." Yugi panted. Anzu shot him a sharp look. Even though they were safe within the museum she didn't remove her supportive arm from around his waist.

"Well, that's not something I hear too often," Malik said. "Ishizu was certain you guys would show up sooner or later. So we've been holed up here. She's in her office with Rashid."

"Does that mean you know what's going on?"

Malik seemed as if he was about to answer but seemed to think the better of it. Instead, he focused on Jounouchi, who remained passed out on the tile floor, completely oblivious to the world around him. Holding up his lantern, Malik shifted the light so it shone on the unconscious man's face. Jounouchi didn't even twitch as sweat beaded on his forehead. Malik whistled under his breath. "I couldn't see what was going on through the glass." He said, turning Jounouchi's chin to look at the red mark there. "That's going to leave a mark though. You have a mean right hook, Honda."

Honda just shrugged.

"I'm being serious though, what happened to him?"

"The genius summoned a monster," Honda said bluntly. "I had to knock him out."

"Of course he did." Malik rolled his eyes. He grabbed Jounouchi's wrist, feeling for pulse. "How strong are we talking?"

Honda paused, scratching the back of his head. "I don't know. It was just Panther Warrior I suppose."

"Very helpful, thank you." Malik sneered. He turned to Yugi pointedly.

"4 stars, 2000 attack. No special effects."

Malik dragged a hand across his face. "Could have been worse." He said finally. "At least it wasn't the stupid dragon of his."

"Can you help him?" Anzu asked?

Malik shrugged and passed Ryou the lantern, "More than likely. We'll have to take him to my sister though. Honda, you take the arms; I've got the legs. Anzu, you're on door duty."

"But what about Yugi?" Anzu asked. He was still breathing like had just run a marathon "He summoned something too."

"It was just a spell card." Yugi protested as if that explained everything. He wasn't impressed with being spoken about as if he wasn't even there. "I'm fine, I can walk by myself."

Anzu threw him a shark look. Yugi knew that she trusted him about as much as his mother earlier. Nonetheless, he met her examine gaze with what he hoped was confidence. Anzu's eyebrow rose critically, but she nonetheless let go of him. The second she did, however, the world swirled around him, grey clouding the corners of his sight.

Anzu latched onto his elbow in a vice grip. "You're fine, huh?

"Okay, I'm a little tried." Yugi chuckled. He smiled at her sheepishly.

"Just a little." Anzu mimicked.

"Don't worry, I've got him," Ryou said softly as he pulled Yugi's arm around his shoulder. With his free hand, Ryou shined the lantern down the empty hallway, aiming for the distant glow of Ishizu's office. Yugi threw his friend a grateful smile. For a moment it looked as if Ryou was going to try and return the look. But it came out more like a pained grimace than anything else. "You go ahead, we'll follow."


	3. Chapter 3

This chapter… was difficult. Do you guys ever have that moment where you've completed something (an entire chapter perhaps) and realize you despise everything about it? well, that's what happened to me. So after a few… million rewrites, I think I've finally got this chapter matching what was outlined in my brain. its still not perfect mind you, but that's okay- cause i want to move on. Maybe i'll touch it up after. Oh, fair warning below is my very very very loose interpretation of Ancient Egyptian mythology- which has been twisted to suit my own needs. there are nooo claims of accuracy here ;)

Enjoy – CYAHB

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 **Reviewers Corner**

 **Great** \- Glad you're enjoying this so far. And yes, this fic definitely leans towards puzzle shipping, or some facsimile of Puzzleshipping anyway (you'll see what i mean). These two belong together.

 **AndurilofTolkien-** Glad you liking it. Thanks for reviewing!

 **TakatoMakino-** Thanks for the compliment! There should be more chapters coming up soon. especially now that i'm past the stumbling block that is this chapter. While this fic is mostly about Yami/Yugi, Yugi and Ishizu have a few important scenes together, promise!

 **lalalei-** Change of heart is such a useful card isn't it. No spoilers.

 **Guest-** Happy to hear that you enjoyed it!

 **Xyrlea-** What's life without a little gore (evil laugh). Thanks so much for your review, it def made me smile. Hope the rest of the story lives up to your standards!

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Disclaimer: I claim no ownership to Yugioh. But with X-mas only a month away, you never know what could happen.

Ishizu's office was in the back of the museum. Yugi had visited a few times during Battle City. Enough, at the very least, to be able to navigate the halls without getting lost. Tucked far away from the bustle of patrons and exhibits, it was far quieter in this part of the museum. A deliberate choice on Ishizu's part, Yugi had no doubt.

But it had never been silent. The Museum, by nature, was a busy place. Academics scurrying down halls, debates echoing from behind office doors; lively. But now…

Now, only the emergency lights were on. The glow was dim and waxy. Wavering shadows twisted on the walls in a macabre reflection. The muffled tread of the group's footsteps was the only sign of life. It echoed around them. Yugi shivered as he and Ryou made their way at the back of the group. To their left, a door stood opened. The office was empty. its occupant had probably fled hours ago. A Looter's dream in gold lay forgotten on the desk.

Anzu was first to reach the large double doors at the very end of the hall. She yanked them open, the heavy wood striking the drywall in a violent parody of a knock. "Ishizu!" Malik bellowed as he and Honda shouldered their way through, Jounouchi's limp frame supported between them. "Incoming!"

Ishizu leaped to her feet, the scroll she had been reading fell on to her desk. But when her attention settled on Jounouchi, her features betrayed no surprise. "Put him on the couch." She ordered and pointed at the love-seat nestled between two large bookcases.

Grunting, Honda and Malik heaved Jounouchi's deadweight down onto the creaking leather. "Thank god." Honda declared, rolling his shoulders in an exaggerated motion. "How can someone so skinny be so freaking heavy?"

Yugi gave a weak chuckle at the jibe. It wasn't the time for jokes. It shouldn't have been appropriate. But the taunt felt so familiar that Yugi half expected Jounouchi to leap up in retaliation.

He didn't so much as twitch.

Ishizu knelt on the floor beside the couch. She placed the back of her palm against Jounouchi's forehead. Even from the other side of the room, Yugi knew how clammy it would feel. "What happened?"

"Dark Game poisoning," Malik said. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed loosely across his chest. "The genius decided to play hero; summoned a four-star monster."

"Hey!" Honda barked, even as Anzu whirled on the blonde Tomb-Keeper

"He was protecting us!"

Ishizu's lips pursed. She pressed the very tips of her fingers to the inside of Jounouchi's wrist, closing her eyes. Her brow creased. "Be that as it may." She said, "Mortals are not capable of channeling that kind of magic. It was reckless."

"Is he going to be all right?" Yugi asked as he slowly made his way over. Ryou remained pressed to his side, his arm still wrapped around Yugi's thin waist. Ishizu's frown deepened as she turned to them. Yugi stood a little straighter, trying to hide how much extra weight Ryou was supporting. Ryou's grip tightened in response.

Ishizu didn't comment. She tilted her chin to one of the sleek leather visitor's chairs in front of her desk. Not needing to be told twice, Ryou crossed the room in a few short strides. To be honest, Yugi was grateful for the break that sitting offered. The grey began to fade from the corners of his vision.

"Jounouchi should be fine," Ishizu said, turning back to her patient. Her hand hovered over his heart, not quite touching his shirt. It drifted up to the hollow of his throat, and then finally to the space between his closed eyes. "But he was very lucky."

"Does that mean he'll wake up soon?" Ryou asked from behind Yugi's armchair. One of his hands rested against the back, his fingers brushing Yugi's shoulder.

Ishizu brushed the knees of her simple white dress as she stood. "By himself? She mused. "Not for several hours, maybe even a few days. Its hard to tell, his soul was nearly drained."

She paused, wanting to say more. But she seemed hesitant, Yugi noticed, as if thinking over her next words with the utmost care. Yugi wasn't sure if he wanted to know why. "Given the current circumstances, we don't have time to let his body heal naturally."

"So what? Are you saying we somehow speed up time?" Honda asked, incredulity seeming at war with suspicion. "Last I checked, medicine doesn't work that way."

"That depends on what you think medicine is capable of," Ishizu replied. Yugi realized that her penchant for vague answers had not faded, despite giving up the Millennium Tauk. "Rashid?"

At her prompt, the tall Egyptian stepped inside the door. Had he been standing outside this entire time? Yugi felt guilty that he hadn't noticed. Rashid turned to the floor-to-ceiling wall unit that stood behind Ishizu's desk. The lower levels consisted of locked cabinets. Above the cabinets were rows of shelves, each filled with artifacts and elegant books.

In the very center of the unit stood a large glass case, containing only a magnificent dagger. With careful hands, Rashid pulled the knife free. At only a glance, Yugi had no doubt about its origin. Hieroglyphs were carved into the golden blade, twining upwards to the ruby in the pommel.

Something stirred in the back of Yugi's mind, a memory on the very edge of recognition. The dagger seemed familiar. Had Atem carried it during Bakura's memory world? It looked like something a Pharaoh would own. That was the only reasonable explanation. But it didn't seem right, somehow.

Why did Yugi's finger's twitch with the need to take it? To wrap his finger's around the hilt? He could feel its weight. The way it pressed into his palm; So much easier to handle than the unwieldy bulk of a sword.

"Yugi?" Ryou asked quietly in his ear. Yugi blinked, not realizing he had zoned out. He ran his hand over his face, trying to push the thought -memory? - away. Where had that come from? "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Yugi reassured his friend. "lost in thought"

Rashid placed the dagger on Ishizu's desk. He handled the blade with the special reverence given to any valuable artifact. But it was clearly of little importance. Yugi forced himself to look away. He watched as Rashid he pulled a fine silver chain from around his neck. A single key dangled from the end.

Rashid reached into the case where the dagger had rested, before twisting the key. Something within unlocked with a satisfying click, before the center cabinet slid open.

The only thing inside was a large, steel lockbox. Rashid pulled it free, caring back to Ishizu. "Thank you." she smiled as he passed her the case. She placed it on the desk next to the dagger and pressed her thumb against the bio-metric lock in the middle of the lid. A green light flashed as it scanned her fingerprint.

Everyone pressed in closer as Ishizu lifted the lid. Yugi wasn't sure what he had expected to see when it was finally opened. But the glimmer of gold was low on the list. And yet, he couldn't bring himself to be surprised.

"Tell me this a joke."

Yugi looked over his shoulder at the sound of Ryou's voice. His friend's face had lost all resemblance to colour. His fingers tightened on the back of Yugi's chair. The whites of his knuckles pressed flush against the skin. "This has got to be a joke."

Nestled in craters of dark Styrofoam, lay all seven of the millennium items. Items that until this moment Yugi had believed were buried under several tons of sand. If this was a joke, Yugi didn't understand the punch-line.

His gaze immediately fell on the Millennium Puzzle. And the stylized eye stared back up at him as if the last few years had been nothing more than a dream.

He could still feel the way the chain felt around his neck. The metal of the puzzle always felt warm against his chest, no matter what the temperature outside was. Would it still feel warm, without Atem's soul trapped inside? Or would it be nothing more than cold metal, lifeless and hollow?

No, the Millennium items could never be anything less than magical.

Magical and dangerous.

Yugi's chair lurched forward. Startled, he looked up. Ryou struggled to pick himself up from the floor. Had he tripped over the leg of the chair? "Ryou?" Yugi asked, trying to reach for his friend. But the white-haired teen didn't seem to notice. He scrambled to his feet and lurched away. He seemed desperate to get as far away from Ishizu's desk as the confines of the office would allow.

"W…why do you have those?" Ryou stammered out. He stared at the box as if it had transformed into a particularly venomous snake. But judging from the glazed look in Ryou's eyes, he wasn't seeing much at all.

"It was a matter of necessity."

Ryou backed towards the door, his eyes never leaving the case. He reached behind his back, fumbling for the handle. A task made near impossible by the tremor in his hands.

"Ryou, listen for a second." Malik approached, his words pitched low and soothing as if addressing a spooked horse. His fingers curled over Ryou's on the door handle. A comforting gesture. But it made it impossible to open the door without Malik's consent. "We had no choice."

"Of course you did!" Ryou rattled the handle. "Let me though!"

"It's not safe out there." Malik soothed, and his free hand rested on Ryou's shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze. "Give Ishizu a chance to explain, that's all we're asking."

"What is there to explain?" Ryou countered, but his voice was growing brittle. "You dug them up. And now the world is ending. Seems pretty simple to me."

"It's not like that, I promise."

"You expect me to believe that?!"

"Listen to me!"

"No! I'm done!"

Malik cursed, and his grip on Ryou's shoulder tightened until the smaller man winced. "If you go out there, you will die." Malik said "If that's what you want, then be my guest. Otherwise, sit down."

Ryou didn't seem willing to back down. His brown eyes flickered between Malik and the case. Had he already forgotten how bad it was outside, Yugi couldn't help but wonder? Or was the apocalypse less terrifying than facing the Millennium Ring? "Ryou." He implored his friend. "Come back."

"You can't tell me this is a coincidence," Ryou demanded. He waving his hand from the millennium items, and then to the window. The room exploded into violet light as thunder boomed. "The items are toxic. They should have stayed buried."

"Only if they're used for evil." The words sounded pathetic to Yugi's ears, but what else was there to say. Ryou had suffered so much at the Thief King's hands. It was so easy to forget that the gentle quiet man bore the deepest scars out of them all. "But they can also be used for good. If they can help Jounouchi…"

"This is a bad idea," Ryou said, shaking his head. But he let go of the door. And for now, that was enough.

'Thank you." Ishizu said, but whether she was speaking to Yugi or Ryou was impossible to tell. "For your trust."

"We have to stick together," Yugi said as Ryou balanced on the arm of his chair despite the empty seat right beside it. "But I agree with Ryou, you owe us an explanation."

"I'll tell you what we know. All I ask for is patience."

Ishizu lifted the Millennium rod from the case, and passed it, handle first to her Brother. The moment Malik's hand curled around the hilt, the eye began to glow, a soft gold that warmed the room. Honda let out a low whistle.

"I didn't know the Rod could for healing" Anzu asked.

"it can't," Malik said as he crouched next to Jounouchi. He extended the rod so it hovered over the unconscious man's head. "But the Rod is very good at tricking the brain and soul into believing they are far healthier than reality."

"You mean mind control," Ryou said. "Like you used in Battle City."

Ishizu held up a pacifying hand. "Only in its mildest form. It is nothing compared to the power my Brother's darker identity once wielded."

Malik pressed the tip of his middle and index fingers to the middle of Jounouchi's forehead. He raised the rod higher into the air. The golden light grew denser. It spread like honey over Jounouchi's face, down his chest and over the rest of his body.

It was only moments before Jounouchi's lanky form was completely enveloped by the light. His face twisted and he twitched. Then, Jounouchi's back arched as he gasped for air. His eyes slammed open and he lurched upright. Malik toppled off his heels and fell back to the carpet with a curse.

"Jounouchi!" Yugi and Honda cried at the same time even as Anzu wrapped her arms around their friend's neck.

"Oh, thank goodness you're awake!"

"Awake?" Jounouchi spluttered. He patted Anzu awkwardly on the back, looking over her shoulder to Honda. "Was I asleep?"

Honda laughed and ruffled the other man's hair. "You don't remember?" he asked.

"I remember summoning Panther Warrior, and kicking some serious butt. " Jounouchi said, detangling himself from Anzu's hold to sit up on the couch. He scrubbed a hand over his face. "But after that, everything gets a little hazy. I remember you hitting me though!"

"Of course you remember that!" Honda groused, but he wasn't able to hide his grin. Not even when he had to jump out of the way as Jounouchi attempted to get off the couch, fist raised in retribution.

Until Malik pushed him back down with a firm hand on the chest. "I know I'm asking a lot, but don't be an idiot." The former tomb keeper said. "I didn't waste my time trying to wake your ass up, just to have you go and kill yourself.

"Thanks for the advice." Jounouchi pushed the hand way. But he didn't make another move to get his revenge on Honda. Instead, he fell back against the couch, leaning his head against the back with a groan. "Sucker punch aside, did anyone get the number of the truck that hit me?"

"The magic of the dark games are not to be trifled with." Said Ishizu. "But now that everyone is accounted for, we can begin."

"So you do know what's going on," Yugi said, perking up in his seat. "And the Millennium items are apart of it?"

Ishizu sighed. Her fingers moved to the hollow between her collar bones. "About two months ago, I received a message from Shadi. He said that the items were acting… oddly."

Two months ago… The fifth anniversary of the ceremonial duel.

"But we sealed the items, didn't we?" Anzu interrupted. "That was why Atem had to leave, to stop the magic."

"That's what we believed, yeah." Malik agreed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Or at least that's what our Father preached anyway."

"But you think he was wrong?" Ryou leaned forward, curiosity seeming to outweigh his previous misgivings.

"Trying to get to that part, thanks." Malik snapped. "Like Ishizu was saying, the items were acting odd, and given the date, we had the tomb exhumed right away. The Items were shipped here for observation."

"Wasn't that risky?" Jounouchi interjected.

"Compared to what?" Malik said. "Leaving glowing hunks of cursed gold lying around for any tomb raider to get their hands on? With nothing but an old guy in a turban for protection?"

"Malik," Ishizu warned. Her brother let out a frustrated huff but otherwise fell silent. "The Tomb-keepers have long believed that when the anonymous Pharaoh first sacrificed his soul, he placed a seal on the powers of the dark games, binding them to the millennium items. That is what gave Yami-no-Yugi and Yami-No-Bakura their abilities.

"But that was never meant to be a permanent solution. So over time, those seals began to crack, and the items could no longer contain the dark magic"

"Which is why the world is falling apart," Honda asked. "This is a dark game. And those are real monsters, not just Kaiba Corp holograms?"

"Well, technically those monsters " Malik signed air quotations around the word, "predate your precious card game by a few thousand years. But yeah, that's the Armageddon-style concept."

"I don't understand," Yugi said. "Mou Hitori… Atem, he went to the afterlife. That was supposed to be the permanent seal."

Ryou nodded his agreement. "That's what you promised. Atem needed to die again in order to end the dark games. You were pretty clear about that."

"Yes," Ishizu said. "The anonymous Pharaoh has the ability to permanently end the cycle of magic. It has always been the mission of the Tomb-keepers to aid the Pharaoh in this task."

"Which he did," Jounouchi said impatiently. "So what's the problem? Cause something obviously didn't work."

"We made a mistake."

As everyone's attention fell on Ishizu, Yugi realized just how haggard the normally elegant woman looked. Her white dress was heavily creased as if it had been slept in and Her long black hair was lank and oily. Heavy circles ringed her eyes. Instead of seeming like a resurrected priestess from Ancient times, she looked like an ordinary person and terrified one at that.

"A mistake." Honda parroted. "How can thousands of years of Tomb-keepers just make a mistake like that?"

"It's not like we had a lot to go on. A few chipped tablets, and some scrolls that did not appreciate a few centuries of aging." Malik rolled his eyes. "Mix that with a prophecy kept alive by non-consensual tattooing and you're bound to have a few crossed wires."

Honda barked out a laugh, but the sound was void of anything resembling humour. "Oh, that's exactly what I want to hear from the people in charge of preventing the end of the world."

"Just how big of a mistake are we talking about." Yugi threw in hastily, deliberately cutting of Malik's response "We know that Mou Hitori no Boku was the Pharaoh. Bakura's memory world was evidenced enough!"

"Yami-no-Yugi was without a doubt a representation of the Pharaoh's soul." Ishizu agreed. "We assumed that after his battle with Zork, the Pharaoh had just sealed his soul into the puzzle, waiting for the ideal host to solve it. But now, we realize the reality was far more complex."

"What do you mean?"

Ishizu turned to Yugi, looking him up and down. "How have you been, since Yami left?" She asked him. Yugi blinked, not sure how to handle the question or the concern that laced her words. "Have you been able to adapt to life without him?"

Instinctively, Yugi's mind turned inwards. He visualized the ragged pit that used to be the hallway separating his soul from Atem's. He reached out to the void, the way one might run their tongue over a rotten tooth to see if it still hurt. His blood ran cold.

He had thought when Atem left for the afterlife, his soul room and the adjoining hall would disappear. The human mind was never meant to hold two souls at once. Most people didn't have soul rooms, or at the very least, didn't know they existed. Atem was a spirit that had possessed his body. Once Yugi completed his task as the Pharaoh's host, everything would go back to normal.

Atem was gone. Yugi had accepted that a long time ago. That wound, the death of a man he had only known a short while, should have been survivable, no matter how close they had been.

He had never expected this. The void in the very core of his mind. It was a vacuum that sucked in every good feeling, every ounce of motivation he had, until even his bones felt hollow. The silence was deafening. Even after five years, Yugi struggled to pull himself away.

Yugi lifted his chin and met Ishizu's gaze. But he didn't answer. She had asked him a question, but Yugi realized that she already knew the answer.

Ishizu looked away first, turning to one of the many bookshelves in her office. "The ancient Egyptian's believed that after death the soul was split into two parts." She spoke as if addressing a lecture hall, pulling a book free had flipping through the pages. She held up a sketch of a body prepared for mummification. "These two parts were called the Ba and Ka."

"We learned about that in social studies." Anzu chimed in. "The Ka is a person's life force, right? And the Ba's the spiritual bit that travels between life and death. Together… they make." She paused, brow furrowing as she tried to remember the last word. "They make… the…"

"The Akh," Yugi finished. "The blessed soul."

"Exactly so." Ishizu continued to flip through the book. "But I think this process was interrupted when Pharaoh Atem died. The Millennium Puzzle prevented the halves of the Pharaoh's soul from reuniting in the afterlife. Instead, it drew the Ba inside, leaving the Ka to wander the earth."

"Okay, neat history lesson," Jounouchi said. "But what does that have to do with the monster and the freaky light show?"

"Malik, Rashid and I have been discussing that." Ishizu said, sounding drained as she leaned her back against her desk, holding the book to her chest. "We think that Yami only represented the Pharaoh's Ba. Which means, Yugi, that it is very likely you are Atem's double- the Ka. Only together was your heart complete enough to be weighed by Maat."

Yugi frowned, feeling the cold from the pit spread down from his spine to the very tips of his fingers and toes. "His Ka?" he breathed "But, Mou Hitori, I Mean Atem. He's the Pharaoh. Not me!

"Yah! I call B.S." Jounouchi spluttered. He took the book from Ishizu, staring at the text as if it would explain everything. "Sounds like a bunch of mystic mumbo-jumbo to me."

"Says the guy who summoned a monster with his mind. "Malik countered, resting a hand on his sister's elbow. "But that doesn't make it any less real."

"But Atem's already crossed over." Ryou pointed out. "We were there. After the duel, the doors opened."

"No, Yami crossed over," Malik said with a shrug. "Think about it. The magic required the Anonymous Pharaoh's soul to pass into the afterlife. His death would sever the connection between our world and the dark games, right?"

"That's what Ryou just said." Honda retorted.

"What if we skipped out on our half of the bargain? Sure the doors opened for the soul of the Pharaoh Atem; but we only gave them half. So the connection was never severed. For the last five years, we've been relying on the magic of the items to control the dark games. But that seal had a best-before date. And we're past it."

"Okay, let's assume your right," Honda said his arms crossing over his chest. "You're saying we're screwed."

"Not really."

"But the ceremonial duel was a one-shot deal," Ryou said. "I don't see what else there is to do."

Malik chuckled. "You guys are a depressing lot; do you know that?" he asked. "Is this how you normally save the world? Sit around and pout until the solution falls into your lap?"

"Are you going to help us, or be a jerk?" Anzu snapped at him. "Otherwise we'll figure this out ourselves. Right guys?"

"Right!" Honda and Jounouchi bother cheered. Yugi smiled at them but was Malik all that far from the truth. Outside the window, a bonfire raged, the crackling blue flames a twisted memory of the cherry tree that had once framed the Museum's roof. What could 7 completely ordinary people do to stop the end of the world?

This was insane. No matter what Ishizu thought, Yugi wasn't the pharaoh who had stopped the dark games 3000 years ago. That wasn't impossible. He would have known, wouldn't he? There should have been some kind of sign. Some warning! Mou Hitori No Boku would have mentioned something!

This wasn't real. Mou Hitori no Boku was a nickname, a holdover from when Yugi had first solved the puzzle and didn't understand what he had released. Yugi had stopped believing that Yami was actually his other half a long time ago. Yami was far more than that… he was the Pharaoh. The only Pharaoh.

Atem might have been able to figure something out. At the very least, he would have taken control, and would already be strategizing their next move. Was Ishizu expecting Yugi to take charge, to come up with some brilliant plan like Atem would have?

"Enough Malik" Ishizu said firmly, silencing her brother with a glare. "We do have a plan. But for it to work, we must work together."

Apparently, she wasn't expecting him to do much of anything. Yugi didn't know if he was relieved or not. The room obediently fell silent. But her words lacked the unifying quality that Mou Hitori no Bo… that Atem's carried so effortlessly.

He needed to stop thinking like that. Atem wasn't here. He wasn't going to swoop in and save them at the last minute. Yugi pushed the thoughts away with ruthless efficiency. If Ishizu said they had a plan, then they could do this. They had to try. "What are you thinking?" he asked the tomb keeper.

It was Malik who responded, "Its simple. " He said, with a dazzling smile that clashed with the chaos outside. "The prophecy says that only the Anonymous Pharaoh can control the dark games right?"

"Right."

"Well we already have half. So the only thing left to do is bring Yami back."


End file.
